Ebay and Jamesons Don’t Mix…or do they?

[ennuipoet]

Jesus, I just bought a Graflex 4×5 with a Wollensak 135mm for under a hundred bucks…I know I got a good deal, the average on this camera in this condition for just the body is twice the price. The lens is usually worth at LEAST a hundred bucks…I admit I am drunk, but shit…

Still…

…how fucking awesome is THIS!

[ravnostic]

Link or it didn’t happen. Going to shoot for noir right about now? 😉

[ennuipoet]

Link or it didn’t happen. Going to shoot for noir right about now? 😉

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330685176339

$99.99!

Wollensak lens, (by the photos) good bellows…now…how do I USE this thing?

[ennuipoet]

Actually…how DO I use this thing? I know the theory, but this is the Holy Grail of Film…large format! If I keep…and I think I will…imagine the possibilities!

Also, people who are good with tools and stuff: as I figure out what is wrong and right with this camera, can you help me fix it? This is a medium to long term investment, plus I want to shoot large format at least once.

[sleeping]

The thing about speed graphics is there are a bunch of different ways you can use them – ground glass focusing, rangefinder, or old school press photographer style (set the focus to 10′ or so, F11 with flashbulbs….). You can pick between focal plane and leaf shutter too…

This may be useful: http://www.graflex.org

[ennuipoet]

The thing about speed graphics is there are a bunch of different ways you can use them – ground glass focusing, rangefinder, or old school press photographer style (set the focus to 10′ or so, F11 with flashbulbs….). You can pick between focal plane and leaf shutter too…

This may be useful: http://www.graflex.org

I spent some time there before buying…I’ve wanted one for a while…but sinking in the idea of shooting large format…it hurts the head. My inspiration is Press Photographer style (I really want to do street photography weegee style, but that is not realistic).

[orionid]

Sweet! Next gathering, we’ll have to go LFing together. If one large, vintage camera attracts looks and starts conversations, I can only imagine two!

[ennuipoet]

Sweet! Next gathering, we’ll have to go LFing together. If one large, vintage camera attracts looks and starts conversations, I can only imagine two!

I am pretty sure, in cold light of sobriety I am going to clean it up and flip it, but that would turn some heads. I have to think about. All I really need to do is sell one print and it’s paid for!

[ennuipoet]

My Graflex arrived today! I thought she was a Pacemaker but she is an Anniversary, which means she was made between 1940 and 1949, because there is no chrome on the camera she is a ’41 to ’45 edition. The leather (not leatherette, real leather) is peeling on the corners but the bellows is in excellent condition. I haven’t done a full timer test on the shutters, but they seem to be close to accurate. The flash solenoid needs to replaced, it’s pretty corroded but they are fairly cheap on the Fleabay. The ground glass is intact but grimy. The Wollensak is gorgeous! No fungus and just a little haze, hey…it’s 75 years old! The rear curtain shutter still fires but it sounds slow, but I need to spend some time testing before I know for sure.

I started looking into the options, keep or sell. I can shoot and develop large format film via the Taco Methodhttp://www.flickr.com/groups/largeformat/discuss/72157594305554218/ with no problems. The big problem is scanning the negatives, my scanner won’t do 4×5. I could shoot Instant on Fuji, but the Fuji Back cost almost as much as a low end 4×5 scanner. I could just say fark it and save up for an enlarger and 4×5 lens and REALLY do darkroom.

Or I could fix her up and sell her.

It may sound crazy, but I am thinking, what if I saved up the money and did an actual darkroom in my bathroom? Not now, but in the future! I could flip this camera for twice what I paid or I could hang onto her and do something really cool in a year or two.

Thoughts? Anyone have a Fuji back they want to get rid of? Anyone shot instant film these days?

Anyone want to get together this Summer for a Classic Farktography Roundup?

ETA: Pics tomorrow once I put her up on the Tripod and circle!

[sleeping]

I’m not sure you have a wartime model, from what I saw on ebay. Those look more like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/awrose/4426439002/ (almost all of the hardware on the camera itself is black-painted brass, even the shutter and stuff).

In terms of the focal plane shutter, they will always sound slower than the actual shutter speed at a lot of settings, because the shutter is a moving slit rather than opening all the way and then closing. It’s kind of cool to watch with the lens open….

I was able to scan 5×7 on a 4×5 scanner by stitching multiple scans in photoshop (the stitching was pretty easy because they matched exactly), I don’t know what your scanner looks like, but something like that might be possible?

I don’t know if it will fit (my speed graphic has a graflex SLR type back for some reason, so it won’t work at all) but a polaroid 405 back is the cheapest option I know of for instant film – it takes the smaller 3×4 packs (which fuji is still making). I could lend you mine if you’d like to try it out, but I would want it back….

[ennuipoet]

I found as site with some fairly easy identifiers, it looks like I’ve got a ’46 Anniversary

Thanks for the info on the Focal Plane, I watched a video showing how it works and that makes sense. I’ve got a flatbed Canon 8800F which has only a three inch wide film scan light, I guess I could stitch from that on 4×5.

I’m reading up on Instant Backs trying figure the best way to go, I’ll let you know.

[Author]

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